Committee forwards resolution to let finance director negotiate purchases from PONC 2024 prioritized list

The Legislative Approvals and Acquisitions Committee on Wednesday forwarded Resolution 120-25 to the full Hawaii County Council with a favorable recommendation, authorizing the director of finance to enter negotiations for acquisition of lands or conservation easements identified in the Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation Commission(PONC) 2024 prioritized list.

Resolution 120-25, introduced by Councilmember Inaba, directs the finance department to use the Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation Fund to initiate negotiations for any or all of the 10 properties identified in PONC's 2024 annual report. The committee vote was recorded as 6 in favor and 3 opposed; the resolution will move to the full council.

The measure's backers said it is intended to streamline a lengthy, sometimes time-sensitive acquisition process. Councilmember Inaba told colleagues that, after meeting with finance and corporation counsel, the resolution would remove repetitive formalities while preserving the commission's prioritization: "The intent moving forward is to streamline what technically is a formality to grant the powers to finance director to go and…